Liverpool Miss Out On Long Term Defensive Target After Premier League Rivals Officially Announce Him
Argentina Under-23 international Julio Soler was being targeted by Premier League clubs, including Liverpool and Manchester United following his impressive performances for Primera División outfit Lanús.
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The Reds were first linked with a move for the 19-year-old back in August last year when TyC Sports journalist Germán García Grova revealed that he could be available for $15million.
El Crack Deportivo reaffirmed the interest from the Merseyside club but also claimed that Manchester United and River Plate were keen on the left-back who featured in all four games for Javier Mascherano's side in their run to the quarter-finals of the 2024 Olympics.
Soler was seen as a potential long-term replacement for Andy Robertson who has struggled for consistency so far this season. Though Robertson has started most of Liverpool's games under Arne Slot, he has been unconvincing.
Bournemouth have secured the signing of Soler, beating Liverpool to his signature. The highly-rated defender joins the Cherries on a long-term contract. Soler moved to Argentine club Lanus as a nine-year-old.
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He progressed through the ranks at the club and made his senior debut in a 1-0 victory over Independiente in 2022. The left-back went on to make 58 senior appearances across all competitions
President of football operations Tiago Pinto told afcb.co.uk: “We are delighted to welcome Julio to AFC Bournemouth.
“He is someone we have monitored closely and have been extremely impressed by his progress.”
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First-team technical director Simon Francis added: “Julio is another talented young player who arrives highly sought after and we are pleased to have added him to our squad.
“With the way Andoni and his staff improve exciting prospects, we look forward to seeing Julio’s progress with us."
Soler has previously captained his nation at the under-20 level. He was called up to the senior team for the World Cup qualifiers in October 2024 for World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Bolivia but is yet to earn his first international cap.
Premier League leaders Liverpool will now have to switch attention to other targets as Arne Slot looks to bolster the squad he inherited from Jurgen Klopp last summer.
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LFC Transfer Room Football Correspondent. Covered the fortunes of Liverpool for the past three years. Follow Joseph on X (formerly Twitter) @joseph_agbobli